Posts for: June, 2014

There was a time when most adults with a bad bite or misaligned teeth considered it too late in their lives for corrective treatment. Fortunately, times have changed — today, one in five orthodontic patients is an adult.

There are solid reasons for considering corrective treatment for bite problems at any age. Poorly aligned teeth are harder to clean, which raises the risk for tooth decay or gum disease. Correcting alignment may also improve your chewing ability, making eating more comfortable with less joint pain. And, last but not least, orthodontic treatment could greatly improve your smile — with potential benefits to your self-confidence, social life and career.

So, should you consider orthodontic treatment? That will depend on three factors: your periodontal (gum-related) health; your general health; and what type of orthodontic problem needs to be corrected.

If you have gum disease, you are at risk of losing supporting bone — since treatment involves gently moving teeth within the bone that supports them, the inflammation may cause bone loss and may not lend itself to a successful outcome. Moreover, besides aggravating and worsening your periodontal condition, the treatment may result in teeth that may not stay where they were moved and could continue to stay mobile long afterward.

There are certain medical conditions that could make orthodontic treatment difficult or even prohibitive: heart-valve disease; bleeding disorders; leukemia; severe diabetes; and taking medications for arthritis or osteoporosis, or those that increase mouth dryness. If you have serious medical conditions or you take prescription drugs, it’s wise to first consult with your medical doctor before considering orthodontic treatment.

The last consideration is whether the misalignment could involve more of your jaw’s skeletal structure than just misaligned teeth. If, for example, the malocclusion (bad bite) is related to the way your jaws fit together, you may need orthognathic surgery to straighten the jaws’ alignment while having orthodontic treatment.

There may be an additional roadblock to treatment — many adults feel self-conscious about wearing braces. If this bothers you, you may have another option: clear aligners. These transparent trays that fit over teeth have been a popular choice among adults because they’re not as noticeable as braces.

In any event, orthodontic treatment can be a little inconvenient, but only for a relatively short time. The lifetime benefits — better health, improved function and a more attractive smile — are well worth the inconvenience.

Save Time and Your Smile with CEREC Tooth Restoration

Putting off having your damaged teeth repaired to avoid unattractive, silver fillings? Avoiding tooth restoration because you don’t have time to sit through multiple appointments? New, CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration Of Esthetic Ceramic) may be the restoration option you’ve been looking for!

Dentistry’s revolutionary CEREC system utilizes the advanced technologies of CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) to create tooth restorations such as crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays. The procedure involves our dental team creating a 3D digital impression of the tooth, which is then transferred to a special computer where the restoration is designed and immediately created in our office using various types of high quality ceramic materials. The custom designed restoration is then bonded to the surface of the tooth, restoring a patient’s smile in just one, easy visit!

Less time in the dental chair

One of the greatest benefits of CEREC technology is that each procedure takes significantly less time than traditional restorations. Traditionally, crown procedures required two appointments—one to create the crown in an offsite location and one to bond the crown to the tooth. But with CEREC, patients can have the restoration applied on the same day they have the tooth prepared. Since a crown can be created in a single appointment, the need for a temporary crown is eliminated, and patients don’t have to make return visits for placement and adjustments.

CEREC Preserves natural tooth structure

CEREC’s remarkable precision preserves much more of a patient’s healthy, natural tooth than traditional crowns. This is because CEREC requires only a small amount of a tooth’s structure to restore it to its full function.

CEREC Restorations are Attractive and healthy

Traditional crowns are often fabricated from bulky, unattractive fillings. CEREC on the other hand uses high quality, long-lasting, ceramic material to restore teeth to their natural strength, beauty and function. The tooth-colored materials used for CEREC are metal free and can be tailored to match the natural shade of your teeth to provide the most natural-looking restoration possible. Additionally, CEREC is healthier than other restorative options. Previously, most restorations used gold, amalgam, or other potentially harmful metals. CEREC uses all-ceramic material that is durable and biocompatible with your teeth—and that means safe and resistant to wear.

Our practice is highly skilled and experienced in the restoration of damaged teeth. Whether you need a tooth-colored filling, porcelain crown or root canal, Dr. Jeffery Johnson and Dr. Jodi Johnson will help you regain the function and natural beauty of your smile while providing improved comfort.

Want to find out if CEREC is a good option for you? From simple fillings to full crowns and veneers, our dental professionals are experienced and highly skilled in new CEREC technology and can assess your smile to determine the best treatment option for you. Contact us today or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

CEREC Technology and Restorations: The New Convenience in Dentistry

Dr. Jeffery Johnson is offering CEREC technology and its benefits to the St. Louis area. The world as we know it is changing everyday, and that goes for dental technology also. Dental technology is becoming more efficient and effective for patient care. CEREC is a dental technology that aids patients to get through dental work quickly and with minimal effort. It’s a state-of-the-art technology that is offered here at Jeffrey J Johnson and Jodi B Johnson General Family Dental Practice.

CEREC Technology: What is it exactly?

CEREC stands for Ceramic REConstruction. This system enables our Dr.’s to utilize a 3D photo as well as computer-aided drafting and manufacturing to assist in cosmetic dentistry practices.

Rather than making molds of your teeth to cast and shape crowns, bridges, dental implants or veneers, our Dr.’s can use CEREC to photograph your dental structure and create a 3D digital model from the images. With the photo information, a custom porcelain tooth is restored and created.

Restorative dentistry can also fix cracked, broken or missing teeth. CEREC technology can also be utilized for “instant orthodontics.” This process uses porcelain veneers to mask aligned teeth to give you a more perfect smile in a short time span.

The Benefits of CEREC Technology

We feel that the benefits of CEREC technology have many advantages. These benefits include:

Fast Results – CEREC technology can make your dental visits quick and time saving. Past restorative dentistry took numerous visits through taking impressions, casting a mold, producing the crown or bridge, and fitting the dental piece.

Quality Results – Because of the confidence in digital imaging, we believe that CEREC is able to generate dental prosthetics that fit patients to a T.

Permanent Results – Old dental processes required the patient to wait out the procedure with a temporary crown. They hardly ever fit perfectly and more of a hassle than a relief. CEREC is able to generate the patients a high-quality custom dental piece almost immediately, which eliminates the use of a temporary crown. Patients can be done and out the door with their newly improved mouth the very same day.

If you believe the technology of CEREC sounds perfect and beneficial for your dental needs, contact us today to talk to our certified dentists for more information, or for a consultation.